Attorney General Holder Says He Will "Follow The Law" And Investigate Torture

Independent Prosecutor Should Be Promptly Appointed, Says ACLU

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NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric Holder said today that the Justice Department will "follow the law wherever it takes us" in investigating the U.S. officials behind the CIA torture policies under the Bush administration.

The American Civil Liberties Union renews its call for Attorney General Holder to appoint an independent prosecutor who will be impartial and free from political influence.

The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU:

"It is encouraging to hear the attorney general state that the Justice Department will fulfill its most basic mandate of enforcing the law. Torture is a crime, and the Justice Department is the right place to initiate an independent top-to-bottom investigation of it.

"To fulfill the Department's essential role as enforcer of the nation's laws, Attorney General Holder is compelled by his oath of office to initiate investigations of those who authorized, legally sanctioned and carried out unlawful acts of torture that have been a stain on our nation's name and its commitment to human rights and the rule of law."

Information on the torture memos recently released through the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act lawsuit and on the ACLU's work to fight torture can be found online at: www.aclu.org/olcmemos